In addition to the White House race, New Mexico has a very important U.S. Senate contest on the ballot this fall.

Voters in New Mexico—and particularly Albuquerque—have the benefit of a lot of clarity when it comes to their state’s open Senate seat. The two candidates, Martin Heinrich and Heather Wilson, have both served in Congress, from the same Albuquerque-based district. So we have a good amount of voting history to make it clear what each would do if they joined the U.S. Senate. On that basis, it’s a pretty easy choice. For his attention to the right issues and priorities, Rep. Martin Heinrich has earned the promotion to the U.S. Senate.

Heinrich, who served on Albuquerque’s City Council prior to his two terms in the U.S. House, has a record of voting the right way on issues that matter to working people—health care, education and good jobs, including protecting jobs at New Mexico’s national laboratories and military bases. He supported health care reform and Wall Street reform, and he stood up to Paul Ryan’s efforts to privatize Medicare.

Wilson was a loyal vote for President George W. Bush’s vision during her time in Congress. She supported the Bush tax cuts that gave tens of thousands of dollars in tax breaks to millionaires, and she also supported a proposal to privatize Social Security, putting retirement at risk in the stock market. Her stances on taxes, the budget and retirement programs would put New Mexico jobs at risk and benefit the richest 2 percent at the expense of the rest of us.

In Martin Heinrich, New Mexicans will have a Senator who understands the issues that affect them and will vote the right way. He’ll be an energetic advocate for working people and Working America members in New Mexico are proud to support him.

This upcoming election is an important one. Our country faces two very different paths.

Over the past several years we‘ve seen some shocking changes. Wealth seems to be valued over all else. Teachers and public employees are seen by many as the source of our problems. Right now, in fact, teachers in Chicago are on strike, in part because of pay disputes and teacher evaluation largely based on student test scores. Small business owners struggle to be successful while large corporations pay exorbitant bonuses to their CEOs, take advantage of tax loopholes and contribute little to the communities they’re in. Unions fighting for fair wages and safe working conditions have been demonized.

When did this “blame the little guy” attitude take hold? And why do so many people point their fingers at each other rather than those truly responsible for our economic woes?

Here in New Mexico, our U.S. Senate race is heating up, and it is clear that one candidate represents the interests of the super- wealthy and large corporations at the expense of those of us just trying to make a living.

Republican Senate candidate Heather Wilson’s record is dismal when it comes to the needs of New Mexicans. When she served in the House of Representatives, Heather Wilson supported President George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the super wealthy. She repeatedly voted against raising the minimum wage and repeatedly voted for pay increases for members of Congress, including, of course, herself.

The time for finger pointing among us is over. The simple fact is that when we work together, we all benefit, not just a select few. Martin Heinrich has consistently shown to be a friend of the middle class and working families. And that’s why he should be elected our next United States Senator.

To get involved in the effort to elect Martin Heinrich, contact our New Mexico office at (505) 255-2127.